Afridi returns to Pakistan ODI squad

Shahid Afridi, the former Pakistan captain, has been included in the Pakistan squad for the ODIs and Twenty20 against Sri Lanka. Afridi recently came out of his self-imposed retirement following Zaka Ashraf's appointment as PCB chairman in place of Ijaz Butt. On the day he took office, Ashraf said he would meet with Afridi to discuss the situation and that he believed the allrounder still had plenty to offer the national side. The pair met earlier today and following the meeting, Afridi was back in the national side.

"I am ready to play cricket either as a player or captain," Afridi told reporters after his meeting with Ashraf. "I still have cricket left in me and a lot to offer for my country. It is always a privilege to lead the side but the captain has always been a scapegoat."

Afridi had retired in protest over the way he was treated by the PCB under Butt, following Pakistan's ODI series against the West Indies in April and May. A dispute between him and then coach Waqar Younis became public and Afridi was censured by the board and fined rupees 4.5 million ($52,300) for violating its code of conduct.

Allrounder Abdul Razzaq also returns to the squad after being dropped following Pakistan's World Cup semi-final loss to India. Razzaq missed out on Pakistan's tours of the West Indies and Zimbabwe, despite being under contract, and said he did not think his exclusion was justified given that he did not have enough opportunities to perform in the tournament.

The selectors have dropped Wahab Riaz after resting him for the tour of Zimbabwe, but Umar Gul returns to lead the attack. He will be backed up by Junaid Khan, who has impressed against Sri Lanka in the ongoing Test series, Aizaz Cheema, who has also done well since making his debut against Zimbabwe, and Sohail Tanvir.

The other major change is the selection of Sarfraz Ahmed as wicketkeeper in place of Adnan Akmal. Sarfraz has played nine one-dayers in his career, the last coming against Australia in Perth in January. The selectors had stuck with Adnan for the sake of stability, and had been concerned about Sarfraz's ability with the bat, but his domestic performances this season have convinced them to give him another shot. In four Quaid--e-Azam Trophy games, he has scored 388 runs at an average of 97.00, with two hundreds and a fifty.

Former captain and allrounder Shoaib Malik has retained his place despite struggling during the Zimbabwe series, where he averaged just 8.00 from three matches. Misbah-ul-Haq will captain the side, which will play five ODIs and one Twenty20 international against Sri Lanka, the first of which will be played on November 11.

I think you made a fair line up, but not the complete one as the players quality and talent concern. in my view Afridi in only a bowler then you call him All rounder as Tanvir, Malik and Umar Akmal.
I would prefer this line up as their talent and qualities :

1) Mohammad Hafeez 2) Shoib Malik 3) Abdul Razzaq 4) Younus Khan 5) Misbah-Ul-Haq 6) Umar Akmal 7) Sarfaraz Ahmed 8) Shahid Afridi 9) Sohail Tanvir 10 ) Umar Gul 11) Saeed Ajmal. that line up is prefect because of Four specialist Bowler ( Gul, Tanvir , Ajmal, Afridi ) and Two All Rounders ( Razzaq & Hafeez) and Four Batsman ( Younus , Misbah , U Akmal , Malik ) Plus One WK Sarfaraz Ahmed.
Abdul Razzaq is a quality All Rounder that can play a long innings in ODIs as we all know and he deserve to play as one down in batting line up in this team as he did very well in the past and as a senior player in this team he should utilize as his quality and talent.

Regards ( Ahmad Asim )

POSTED BY
on | November 5, 2011, 16:37 GMT

we dont want to see afridi back in team..........we want abdul razzaq......

POSTED BY
imtiaz-jamal
on | November 5, 2011, 8:00 GMT

Playing XI should be with batting order.1).Muhammad Hafeez.2)Asad Shafiq.3)Younis Khan.4)Shoaib Malik.5)Misbah-Ul-Haq (capt).6)Umar Akmal (wkt).7)Shahid Afridi.8)Abdur Razzaq.9)Sohail Taveer10.)Umar Gul.11)Junaid Khan.Nine Batsmen as per Batting order, six All rounders Hafeez,Malik,Umar Akmal,Afridi,Razzaq,tanveer, four fast bowlers Gul,Junaid,Tanveer,Razzaq and three spinners Hafeez,Malik,Afridi.I think with these explanations there is no place for some other guys in the playing XI.Who is with me? Please vote for that.

POSTED BY
on | November 4, 2011, 13:58 GMT

instead of farhat ahmad shezad or taufiq umar and aizaz cheema should be replacwd by wahab riaz

Wahab Riaz would have been a good selection, he has pace, he can reverse the ball and is a good fielder and we should not forget he is a big match player *5 against india, World cup semi-final* so i would have him instead of sohail tanveer

POSTED BY
bMike
on | November 4, 2011, 4:43 GMT

What happened to Mohammad Yusuf, Mohammad Sami and Mohammad Amir? Pakistan cricket will be a joke without these 3 Mohammads :(

POSTED BY
stark-truth
on | November 4, 2011, 4:28 GMT

Wahab Riaz is obviously under the cosh and in the radar now, in the wake of spot-fixing scandal. Akmal is another whose turn is coming swiftly as his cruel treatment of Pak cricket when he let off Hussey repeatedly in Sydney (and then slap the ball to deep cover into the waiting hands of Watson when we were close to a win) to set up Aus victory, will sink the man surely.

POSTED BY
on | November 3, 2011, 22:02 GMT

wahab riaz is a good omission. He didnt really have a large variety of bowling skills to boost his chances, plus a hefty economy rate.

POSTED BY
criclover112
on | November 3, 2011, 21:38 GMT

once again good selection, except for the eternal sore that is imran farhat.

POSTED BY
AHKA
on | November 5, 2011, 17:19 GMT

Hi (Imtiaz Jamal )

I think you made a fair line up, but not the complete one as the players quality and talent concern. in my view Afridi in only a bowler then you call him All rounder as Tanvir, Malik and Umar Akmal.
I would prefer this line up as their talent and qualities :

1) Mohammad Hafeez 2) Shoib Malik 3) Abdul Razzaq 4) Younus Khan 5) Misbah-Ul-Haq 6) Umar Akmal 7) Sarfaraz Ahmed 8) Shahid Afridi 9) Sohail Tanvir 10 ) Umar Gul 11) Saeed Ajmal. that line up is prefect because of Four specialist Bowler ( Gul, Tanvir , Ajmal, Afridi ) and Two All Rounders ( Razzaq & Hafeez) and Four Batsman ( Younus , Misbah , U Akmal , Malik ) Plus One WK Sarfaraz Ahmed.
Abdul Razzaq is a quality All Rounder that can play a long innings in ODIs as we all know and he deserve to play as one down in batting line up in this team as he did very well in the past and as a senior player in this team he should utilize as his quality and talent.

Regards ( Ahmad Asim )

POSTED BY
on | November 5, 2011, 16:37 GMT

we dont want to see afridi back in team..........we want abdul razzaq......

POSTED BY
imtiaz-jamal
on | November 5, 2011, 8:00 GMT

Playing XI should be with batting order.1).Muhammad Hafeez.2)Asad Shafiq.3)Younis Khan.4)Shoaib Malik.5)Misbah-Ul-Haq (capt).6)Umar Akmal (wkt).7)Shahid Afridi.8)Abdur Razzaq.9)Sohail Taveer10.)Umar Gul.11)Junaid Khan.Nine Batsmen as per Batting order, six All rounders Hafeez,Malik,Umar Akmal,Afridi,Razzaq,tanveer, four fast bowlers Gul,Junaid,Tanveer,Razzaq and three spinners Hafeez,Malik,Afridi.I think with these explanations there is no place for some other guys in the playing XI.Who is with me? Please vote for that.

POSTED BY
on | November 4, 2011, 13:58 GMT

instead of farhat ahmad shezad or taufiq umar and aizaz cheema should be replacwd by wahab riaz

Wahab Riaz would have been a good selection, he has pace, he can reverse the ball and is a good fielder and we should not forget he is a big match player *5 against india, World cup semi-final* so i would have him instead of sohail tanveer

POSTED BY
bMike
on | November 4, 2011, 4:43 GMT

What happened to Mohammad Yusuf, Mohammad Sami and Mohammad Amir? Pakistan cricket will be a joke without these 3 Mohammads :(

POSTED BY
stark-truth
on | November 4, 2011, 4:28 GMT

Wahab Riaz is obviously under the cosh and in the radar now, in the wake of spot-fixing scandal. Akmal is another whose turn is coming swiftly as his cruel treatment of Pak cricket when he let off Hussey repeatedly in Sydney (and then slap the ball to deep cover into the waiting hands of Watson when we were close to a win) to set up Aus victory, will sink the man surely.

POSTED BY
on | November 3, 2011, 22:02 GMT

wahab riaz is a good omission. He didnt really have a large variety of bowling skills to boost his chances, plus a hefty economy rate.

POSTED BY
criclover112
on | November 3, 2011, 21:38 GMT

once again good selection, except for the eternal sore that is imran farhat.

POSTED BY
on | November 3, 2011, 20:08 GMT

Imran Farhat is always going to be in the team as long as Muhammad Ilyas is the cheif selector who also happens to be Imran Farhat's Father in law... :) .. this is Pakistan man !!! these things should be understood and shouldn't need to be explained.... :)

POSTED BY
dicky_boy
on | November 3, 2011, 18:51 GMT

I am an Indian , you people are lucky you have so much fast bowling talent, what's the method

POSTED BY
on | November 3, 2011, 16:57 GMT

oh and i think imran nazir should be given preference over imran farhat.....some one like him could play a role like that of sehwag or dilshan

POSTED BY
on | November 3, 2011, 16:52 GMT

just one thing....where is wahab riaz?

POSTED BY
Bilal94
on | November 3, 2011, 13:59 GMT

I would have taken Umer Amin or Owais Zia over Imrn Farhat.

POSTED BY
on | November 3, 2011, 11:35 GMT

okay selection but no as such youngsters which we were giving chances in past few months & now back to old team. Afridis selection is ok for on field game as he is bowling good BUT there may be off field things which may occur as team is doing well but his presence may result in grouping . time will tell how good this decision will be. Razaks return is good as we have seen in ZIM they couldnt get better benifit from strong start & midle overs in the batting pp.

POSTED BY
Ali-Sajid
on | November 3, 2011, 9:25 GMT

No matter how hard the selectors try there are still a lot of people who are not satisfied with the selection. Some ask for youngsters, others demand return of experienced players, some want new players to debut and others want justification for leaving players out in spite of good performances. I don't envy the pakistani selectors.

POSTED BY
on | November 3, 2011, 8:25 GMT

what is imran farhat doing in the team we see a real fight between farhat and afride

POSTED BY
on | November 3, 2011, 7:18 GMT

Should there be a place in Pakistan Cricket Team for sentimental person line Afridi ? He himeslef dont know when he gon to be retired ? I personally think that the team should go on without Afridi, n i request Mr. Afridi to please took pity on Cricket as well as Pakistan Team. Yasir Hamid bit unlucky , he would be in the team. On Imran Farhat, there is Big Question Mark ????? why he is in ? His Father in Law is Chief Selector. Is there any quality in Imran Farhat except this ? i dont remember. ...

POSTED BY
forbidden11
on | November 3, 2011, 6:18 GMT

UMAR AKMAL SHOULD OPEN THE BATTING WITH MOHAMED HAFEEZ, SINCE THIS SQUAD HAS LOT OF OPTIONS FOR MIDDLE ORDER, UMAR AKMAL IS EXTREMELY TALENTED PLAYER CAPABLE OF PLAYING IN ANY POSITION, DONT FORGET THAT SACHIN STARTED HIS CAREER AS A MIDDLE ORDER BATSMAN BECAUSE OF HIS CALIBRE HE TRANSFORMED HIM AS SUCCESSFUL OPENER,NO HARM IN TRYING UMAR AKMAL AS AN OPENER, SELECTORS KINDLY CONSIDER

POSTED BY
on | November 3, 2011, 5:33 GMT

Imran Farhat should be kept away from team, Nasir Jamshed, AHmed Shezad or Shahzaib Hassan should be given chances.

Great to see deserving, Sarfraz Ahmad in the team.., his exclusion reminds the days of Rashid Latif exclusion.

Hammad Azam should replace Abdul Razzaq for World cup preparation or should we play hamad in test side as an all rounder?

POSTED BY
DataQue
on | November 3, 2011, 5:32 GMT

Just one thing to say: Ijaz Butt do you like "Apples"; how do you like this apple Shahid Afridi back in the team!!!!! Afridi you are the MAN!!!!!

POSTED BY
on | November 3, 2011, 5:28 GMT

i think kamran akmal is aa cmplet crickter if he did not ceep wel so he is aa good batsman why did'nt play as aa batsman

POSTED BY
on | November 3, 2011, 5:26 GMT

where is Ahmed Shahzad..he did a good job in Quaide-Azam_Trophy

POSTED BY
Fast_Track_Bully
on | November 3, 2011, 5:12 GMT

he will announce retirement before the end of this series...:P

POSTED BY
on | November 3, 2011, 5:11 GMT

Afridi returns to Pakistan ODI squad

POSTED BY
on | November 3, 2011, 5:02 GMT

its good see back shahid afridi abdul razzaq and i want see imran zazir,.could have replace Kamran akmal with Sarfaraz

POSTED BY
trueindian
on | November 3, 2011, 5:01 GMT

I m a TRUE INDIAN and hence my comments are UNBIASED.For the last 3 years, this team is the best ever they have. U can see they can bat upto 8 and still can have 7 bowlers. What a team.

If you take in Sohail Tanvir in place of Junaid, then batting stretches upto 10!

Guys, Abdul Razzaq has many years left in him. He has not got more opportunities and he will show U guys what a special gem he can provide nw that professional man is at the helm. I want Misbah to support Afridi.

@ zaids : u have selected an incomplete side. ur team must hv 5 regular bowlers, in this case u hv just 4.( Mohammed Hafeez is not a regular bowler).

POSTED BY
sohail_Al-Ain
on | November 3, 2011, 3:52 GMT

@waqad.shahid ....... i am agreed with you about exit of imran farhat but ahmed shehzad and nasir jamshaid also not a good choice. and rawalpindi ramp opener OWAIS ZIA is rising player of pakistan his recently performance against india A in Saarc deserving he must open with hafeez. afridi and razzaq well come back .... cheers

Its nice to see afridi back and im really glad to see razzaq as well. Razzaq is a hard working cricketer and he deserves a place. The inclusion of shoaib malik and imran farhat does not make any sense at all. I hope we get rid of them soon.

POSTED BY
saqskhan
on | November 3, 2011, 3:26 GMT

Adnan should hve been included as he has impressed with his bat in Srilanka test series..Younis should be kept only for Test now..give a chance to youngsters..Also Instead of Imran Farhat, give a chance to Imran Nazir...he is a solid hard hitter and much better than Farhat. See the team...you will have half of the team as hard hitters...Hafeez, Nazir, Umar, Razzaq and Afridi
My Playing 11 --
1) Mohd Hafeez 2) Imran Nazir 3) Asad Shafiq 4) Umar Akmal 5) Misbah-Ul Haq 6) Afridi 7) Razzaq 8) Adnan Akmal 9) Umar Gul 10) Junaid Khan 11) Saeed Ajmal
Batting till number 8, what else u need...Selectors please have a look at this..

POSTED BY
getsetgopk
on | November 3, 2011, 3:12 GMT

NOW WHO SAID THAT AFRIDI IS STUPID OR HE DOESN'T KNOW WHATS HE TALKING ABOUT? WELCOME BACK BOOM BOOM!

POSTED BY
M.N.I.Rony
on | November 3, 2011, 3:03 GMT

afridi is an amazing player.it's good to see when he plays. he adds a extra dimension..

POSTED BY
ather_aziz
on | November 3, 2011, 1:07 GMT

I want yasir shah to be playing odi's he is a good future spinning prospect and abdur rehman is nothing more than a run stopping economical bowler. O also beleive that it is time to introduce azhar ali into the odi team because he is mature enough and ready fo r it he has a list a average of 45+ and test average of 42+ which is gud enuf for me to put him in the team other than that i dont think that imran farhat should ever be in the pakistan team because he is just good in domestic not in international games

POSTED BY
naudurivsm
on | November 3, 2011, 0:32 GMT

Here we go again !! The Drama begins !! Get ready for all new episodes..
Cheers Afridi ......

POSTED BY
delboy
on | November 2, 2011, 23:30 GMT

WI need something similar in order to have the likes of Taylor, Gayle , Sarwan and Benn back. It's strange that a player who was world ranked in the top 5 (Sarwan) before Gibson took charge suddenly goes into decline. A great part of the coaches job is not to show batsmen how to hold their bat,but to instill confidence in them. Welcome back Mr Afridi ir's now BOOM BOOM time.

POSTED BY
smudgeon
on | November 2, 2011, 23:29 GMT

Glad to see Afridi is back in the side, although I'd be wary of his ego - no-one's bigger than the game! The team has done well without him (although he was the star of the Pakistani show at the WC) and make good progress recently, I hope his inclusion in the squad is likewise a positive.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 22:15 GMT

dear Selectors, DO YOU REMEMBER A PLAYER WHOSE NAME IS IMRAN NAZIR!!!!

Wahab Riaz should have been included instead of Razzaq, it seems v r going backwards.there is not more then 2 yrs of cricket left in him. FARHAT again, its awful. Ahmed Shehzad or Nasir Jamshaid would be the better choice. There is lack of future planning in our selection.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 20:28 GMT

i think shoail khan and whab riaz should also be there in pace attack for pakistan

Nodoubt the team is getting boost with new blood.
Please back the verdict against corupt players. Please make a clear to yourself that for the sake of good cricket we need clean ppl

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 19:39 GMT

I would pick Ahmed Shehzad over Imran Farhat and Wahab Riaz over Aizaz Cheema. Rest of the team is good. Sarfraz needed a chance. His performance with the bat at domestic cricket has been exceptional. If he fails to deliver goods, one can fall back on Adnan.

POSTED BY
KarachiKid
on | November 2, 2011, 19:25 GMT

What is Farhat and Malik doing in the team ? what do they add ? I think they should consider bringing back Yasir Arafat or Hamad.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 19:22 GMT

this team has the best bowling attack in d world right now!wahab riaz cant find a place in this team!!!

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 19:20 GMT

itll be interesting to see afridi and imran farhat together...

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 19:18 GMT

wow afridi is back. people want to see afridi without afridi there is no charm in match.plus Abdul razzak pakistani team now become more stronger.

So glad to hear Afridi is back in the team! :) Although I must admit, this is succumbing to player power seeing as he has immediately been brought back to the team- nontheless I'm really happy he's back! good composition of the team :) inshallah we'll win the test series along with odi and t20 :)

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 18:57 GMT

@ehaan yes its true numbers talk, but keep in mind afridi is a bowling all rounder. why don't you take a look at his bowling average and econ rate. he is also in the top 10 as an ODI all rounder and in the top 3 as a T20 all rounder. so check your facts mate!

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 18:52 GMT

coooool cameback to afridi...... my proud is bak to shine .... love you

POSTED BY
podichetty
on | November 2, 2011, 18:45 GMT

where is wahab riaz.....what happened to him.....please don't tell me he is dropped...the guy was amazing against india in world cup semi-final. I'm an indian and how dearly, we need a bowler like him in our team !

I don't know why my Pakistani friends are insisting on names like; Usman Salahuddin, Hammad Azam, Sadaf Hussain or even Imran Nazir etc!
No doubt that these guys are talented.
But what's wrong with guys playing now.

I don't want 10 new guys making debut every year!
We now have such strong bench strength that we need to give these guys more chances, rather than keep on bringing new guys every series!

why is that sleepy Imran Farhat added to the squad especially when players like Ahmed Shehzad and Awais Zia are available and are performingly extremely well at the domestic level

POSTED BY
MHJohn
on | November 2, 2011, 17:45 GMT

Why they rested Wahab Riaz for ZIM tour,then not selecting him for tour against SL.What is the meaning of giving Rest. This is not proper judgement for a young player who is vastly talented !!!!!!!!!!

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 17:44 GMT

sarfraz ahmed is not better choice he is not good player

POSTED BY
Zulu1981
on | November 2, 2011, 17:43 GMT

well the joker is back ;-)

POSTED BY
yasir11
on | November 2, 2011, 17:42 GMT

should be in wahab instead of cheema.

POSTED BY
Raja.Khurram
on | November 2, 2011, 17:40 GMT

Shoaib Malik impressed by taking his team to victory in the national T20 tournament, thats why he got another chance. Cricinfo shouldve mentioned this in their article.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 17:33 GMT

Who is going to open the batting. Imran Farhat does not deserve a place. Hafeez with Afridi/Malik/Akmal/Shafiq???. Seems like we don't have our second opener in the team of 16.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 17:26 GMT

where is kamran akmal,he will play as an opener not as a wicket keeper.you should drop imran farhat pcb has given lot more chances to this guy but he have not proved himself.

POSTED BY
wasim_007
on | November 2, 2011, 17:21 GMT

Welcome back LALA!!!...and happy to see RAZZAQ...Please bring back IMRAN NAZIR....

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 17:16 GMT

NIce slection of Razaq, Tanvir & Sarfraz............. but y there is Malik, Farhat & Younis .... World Cup was over . we want new blood specially in batting order like NAsir Jamshaid, Sherjeel, Khuram, Shazeeb etc..........

Seven batsman, (hafeez, afridi, razzaq) 3 all rounder, 3 specialist bowlers, balanced squad, overall good selection by selecters after a long time, best of luck pakistan team specially afridi and razzaq( just missing kamran give him a chance as a specialist opener instead of imran farhat) he can do good for pakistan as a batsman if u think he is not a good keeper, Pakistan Zindabad

POSTED BY
WQURESHI
on | November 2, 2011, 17:15 GMT

once again no green signal for awais zia,sharjeel khan,sadaf hussain, & raza hassan....they all perform very well in domestic limited over cricket...imran farhat,sarfraz ahmed once again in the team...very bad selection.....i think so kamran akmal is far bewtter then these wicket keepers which pcb brought to the team

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 17:10 GMT

hmm good selection of Razzaq, Tanvir & Sarfraz. But y there is Malik, Farhat & Younus.....World Cup was over now v want fresh blood like Nasir Jamshaid, Shazaeeb, Sherjeel etc..........

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 17:03 GMT

hmm nice but it would have been much better if Azhar Ali was included in the line ,dropping malik, wahab for tanvir, and any new opener(Ramiz Raja Jr) for Imran Farhat! That would have been much better

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 17:00 GMT

A great squad... Welcome back LALA... Its always been a great pleasure to see BOOM BOOM n Abdul Razzaq playing togethr... Wahab should get a chanc.. Bt Aizaz Cheema's grt performance keep him out.. INSHA ALLAH pakistan wl come out as eventual champion...

For the love of God would some one please drop imran farhat and bring back ahmed shehzad. what is wrong with these selectros????

POSTED BY
GREATBHATTI
on | November 2, 2011, 16:38 GMT

Welcome back........king of big straight hits...one and only Abdul Razzaq....Good selection by New chairman Zaka Ashraf...

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 16:32 GMT

welcome back shahid afridi and we also need imran nazir in opening with professor hafeez

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 16:31 GMT

news for srilanka......... don is back shahid afridi

POSTED BY
Rakim
on | November 2, 2011, 16:23 GMT

¡¡¡¡¡¡Welcome back Boom Boom!!!!!![Why Imran Farhat again?]

POSTED BY
BattosaiXX
on | November 2, 2011, 16:19 GMT

Pakistan pace attack has never been this weak. Why is Sohail Tanvir in the team and Raiz out..........Why is Imran Faraht in the team, let alone shoaib malik being there (8 avg agaist ZIM)

POSTED BY
chatbox
on | November 2, 2011, 16:18 GMT

shoiab malik should be replaced by mohammad yousuf

POSTED BY
chatbox
on | November 2, 2011, 16:17 GMT

why haven't the selectors picked Wahab Riaz, great bowler in odi form of cricket.

POSTED BY
ABRAR-JANJUA
on | November 2, 2011, 16:13 GMT

Really very happy to know that Abdul Razzaq is back and for sure he will get better chance under Misbah captaincy compared to Afridi's. But Shoaib Malik and Farhat inclusion are surprised packages.I don't know they are in the team on what basis?? While Wahab Riaz have dropped without getting any chance...?? is it fair?? Best of Luck Green Caps..

Looking forward to see him sneak past Kumble next year as the leading wicket taker spinner in ODIs and also to complete his 300 ODI sixes

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 16:01 GMT

All the cricket lovers of pakistan are happy with his inclusion.We should not ignore his class & experience. I hope he will justify his selection by showing the world he is still one of the best. Good luck boom boom....

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 15:58 GMT

afridi and razzak are older and not reliable

POSTED BY
Morfi
on | November 2, 2011, 15:56 GMT

This is brilliant news!! More than Afridi, I am also happy to see Razzaq back! I would like to see Asad Shafiq open with Hafeez, Younis 3, Umar Akmal 4, Misbah 5, Razzaq 6, Afridi 7, Gul 8, Cheema 9, Ajmal 10, Junaid 11. One could bring in Sarfaraz to relieve Umar from keeping duties in which case one bowler (aizaz) could be dropped. Great work selection team.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 15:55 GMT

why has wahab riaz been left out?? i would rather have him than sohail tanvir! wahab bowls faster and is in form! i just dont get this!

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 15:53 GMT

Good looking side,,, Razzaq, Tanvir,Afridi, Younous kahan, misbah,malik, gul, ajmal,akmal,hafeez
lots of experience and I am too sure,, there would fight between everyone to be in the first 11.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 15:53 GMT

welcome back boom boom afridi....... afridi is the best...... we are expecting from you lot of sixes ..... he he he he ....

where is tanveer rahman? this team will create another scandal, wait n see

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 15:45 GMT

kamran akmal should come back as a specialist opener, and umar akmal should be keeper

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 15:45 GMT

v glad to c Afridi and Razaq bak in the squad .boom boom

POSTED BY
give_young_guns_chance
on | November 2, 2011, 15:44 GMT

Its funny how everyone of you are predicting the team without Imran Farhat. Did it occurred to you guys no other opener was drafted other than him and Hafeez ?

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 15:44 GMT

why did he retired in the first place?????

POSTED BY
salman_0902
on | November 2, 2011, 15:39 GMT

Welcome back Afridi We need players like him. Who play with their heart for the team and the country. Shoaib Malik is a burden on the team plus his he is a trouble maker. He doesn't deserve to be with the team or around the team.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 15:36 GMT

to drop wahab and include farhat and malik is a joke

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 15:32 GMT

Nice to see him, boom boom no doom like others. I mean, performer and honest man who thrashed us many times but good to beaten by good man. Welcome Shahid Afridi :)

This is a joke the way they are treating Wahab. He could get into any team and we keep ignoring him, but keet including worthless guys like Farhat??At least they finally picked Sarfraz, hope they stick with him a while. But im really angry at the way they have treated Wahab. Is Tanvir better than Wahab?Thats a joke!!!

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 15:16 GMT

Pakistan matches will be watchable again, with them getting the old team back.

I expect Imran Farhat to fail against quality bowling so will probably be discarded at the end of this series. Afridi is good enough to get into the side on his bowling alone. Adnan Akmal should have been retained as the wicket keeper. He is the best Pakistan wicket keeper since Moin Khan.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 15:09 GMT

It has to be a joke, Pakistani players treat their International Careers like cheap clothing and keep switching on and off. If you're retired, you're retired. Unless, the team can't live without you, thats another story. I would have understood the likes of Inzy, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram or Waqar making such decisions coz they bring huge value to the middle and are exceptional talents. Afridi is just a slogger(mind you I didn't use the term Batsman) who can bowl good leg spinners with a tinge of googly. To me, his biggest problem like Shoaib is his attitude which brings chaos rather than calmness and when he loses the game, he acts like a sour loser. If he is such a match winner then whats his average in ODIs. Don't think somebody averaging in early twenties can win you many matches. I would prefer Abdul Razzaq over him any given day.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 15:02 GMT

Don't know wahab riaz has done not to be a part of the eleven hard on him though and Imran farhat has done to be still in the team but otherwise a good selection

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 15:02 GMT

Missed Fawad Alam, Hammad Azam, Raza Hasan and Sadaf Hussain. At least the last 3 of them should be included as reserves in the squad to have a feel of the dressing room.

Although, Sarfaraz Ahmed is something really awesome to cherish about. Imran Farhat is absurd. Asad Shafiq should have opened with M. Hafeez. Raza Hasan should have been included too. A bit too harsh on Wahab Riaz. Too early for Afridi I must say. He should have proved himself in the domestic circuit first. Playing XI should never be a peace of cake.

POSTED BY
atif93
on | November 2, 2011, 15:01 GMT

Good Selection but ideal wuld hav been Imran nazir in for Farhat, Kamran Akmal in for Sarfaraz bcuz of hiz batting, and Wahab Riaz in for Sohail Tanvir................

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 15:00 GMT

1st Warm welcome to Afridi, loves you a lot. Agree with Arfath Kakde... Imran Farhat is wasting of money + time... Imran nazir is better option... Its surprising me that Shoab Malik is in the squad. He don't deserve to be in the team but anyways he will remain 12th man lol...

POSTED BY
bohurupi
on | November 2, 2011, 14:59 GMT

Inclusion of Sarfraz Ahmed again in the team was long overdue. He is probably the best Wk/batsman Pakistan have in the team at the moment. For Afridi, his talents is now limited only to spin bowling and that too is not unwavering. If he cannot perform with the bat, his days in the team is numbered. There are some some good budding young talents surfacing in Pak domestic cricket, Usman Salahuddin for instance, which selectors have totally ignored. Rameez Raza also should have given a chance.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:58 GMT

great selection good to see afridi and razzak ...it should be a dream team if kamran and imran nazir included.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:55 GMT

bt usaless 4 pakistan...

POSTED BY
poderdubdubdub
on | November 2, 2011, 14:55 GMT

Happy to see Razzaq back, hope Afridi completes the triple century of SIXES. Dont know about a couple of other names notably Shoaib Malik and Abdul Rehman. Sorry to see Adnan omitted, he is a lovely stroke maker.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:53 GMT

Welcome Back Afridi.....Gud Team ....Pakistan Zinda Bad

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:48 GMT

Welcome back boom,,,Would like to see Nazir instead of Farhat. Also get A.Razaq up the order.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:48 GMT

very very good news for all afridis fans and pakistani team ,he is very good person and good player,may be INSHALLAH ,afridi good perform in this series

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:47 GMT

very good news now they should go Afridi with open the innings
here is my Team for you... unbeatable i promiss
1.Afridi
2.Hafeez
3.yunas
4.misbah
5.umer Akmal
6.Shoaib malik
7.Serfraaz
8.Razzaq
9.Suhail tanveer
10.umer gull
11.saeed Ajmal

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:44 GMT

WeLcOME BacK LALE......:)

POSTED BY
Z.Saleem
on | November 2, 2011, 14:44 GMT

Yipee....Cricket is not cricket without Afridi...Glad the Man is back!
Welcome back BOOM BOOM.....we want to see u back in action :-)

POSTED BY
khurramsch
on | November 2, 2011, 14:43 GMT

ok selection just no youngsters . Afridis selection is good for on field cricket as he is bowling good BUT its a 50-50 decision for off field things as team is doing good & may b his inclusion will result in again grouping. that time will tell. Razak return is good as we have seen that in ZIM team couldnt get benifit of good start & midle overs & just managed few in PP overs at the end. Anyway i think they have made selection of playing 11 very difficult now with these 16.

POSTED BY
kakasajid
on | November 2, 2011, 14:43 GMT

Hi, Good Luck to Pak cricket!! All my best wishes for them. There are too many good players now in the one day team.... What if we ask Afridi to open with Hafeez and rest team ....
3- Younis
4- Omar
5- Misbah
6- Asad
7- Shoaib/Abdul Razzak
8- Gul
9- Junaid
10- Aizaz
11- Sohail tanweer

good balanced squad in each department
team combination is now the real issue.....!!!!
i think they can carry on by promoting afridi as opener the team should be
hafeez
afridi
younis
misbah
u. akmal
malik
sarfraz
tanvir/ razzaq
gul
junaid
ajmal

Wow, with 8 batsmen and 7 bowlers, Umar Akmal being a keeper. Excellent team.
Otherwise, remove Malik and add Sarfarz as a keeper.

POSTED BY
pauliangenius
on | November 2, 2011, 14:37 GMT

How come i do not see Tanvir Ahmed in the one day squad? He was not played in the tests against Srilanka on the basis that he will be played in ODIs and his swing bowling will be utilised as per the new ICC rules of two new balls??

POSTED BY
SaudAliPk
on | November 2, 2011, 14:37 GMT

Good Squad.Really difficult to select playing 11 out of this 16 selected players. I think 5 players that will not be selected will be abdur rehman, asad shafique , sohail tanvir,shoiab malik and aizaz cheema. where as , all these 5 players are good and have already proved their metal.All in all gr8 bench strength for pak..

Hoping to see good matches but Pak holds edge (55-45) over Srilankans.....

Its a balance side announced by PCB selection committee, but i think youngster Sharjeel Khan deserve a seat in final squad, as he is consistantly playing well at domestic circuit,anyway exclusion of Wahab Riaz a big surprise and i am sure he should be in the squad in place of Aizaz Cheema. Another big surprise is Imran Frahat who is contiuosusly with the team despite of average performance. Rest of the side is bit ok against SL series.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:29 GMT

Great to see better selection this time, although a bit disappointment for Wahab Riaz but its part and parcel of the game so no complaints. My team: Hafeez, Farhat, Malik, Younis, Misbah, Akmal, Sarfraz, Afridi, Razzaq, Tanvir and Gul....Go get them boyzzz

POSTED BY
Dr_Nasir..
on | November 2, 2011, 14:28 GMT

vey warm welcome boom boom......excelent team selection except imran farhat...his inclusion in the team is wastage of mony...any way good luck team pakistan......go ahead...

Lovely to see Afridi back and a Sarfraz given a chance but the overall selection is very, very poor!

Farhat, Younis, Cheema, Tanvir, Rehman and even Misbah shouldn't have been in the squad.

Hasn't Mohsin been watching the Ind vs Eng series recently? They played youngsters and outshone Eng in the field.

Where is Sadaf, Jamshed, Fawad and Hammad?

Nice to see Razzaq back but Hammad looked like a really good prospect and Sadaf has been a nightmare for batsmen recently in Pak's domestic circuit.

Finally, what's wrong with Azhar Ali? Wasn't Amla facing a similar situation but when given the chance in ODI's as an opener, he showed his capabilities for the one day arena.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:24 GMT

Why do they keep selecting Imran Farhat? What bad has Adnan Akmal done to be selected in ODIs? Who is the vice captain?

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:23 GMT

Finally Sarfraz Ahmed in the team! A great batsmen in all formats... now all Pakistan needs are Sadaf Hussain, Sharjeel Khan, Zain Abbas, Raza Hasan, Babar Azam (or might be too early), Usman Salahuddin (in test), Hammad Azam, Ahmed Shehzad and of course Mohammad Amir. Now that would be a perfect team!

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:23 GMT

hammad azam should have been in the squad in olace of sohail tanvir.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:20 GMT

Welcome Back Afridi !!!Olve you !!!waiting 2 see u back in action good team ...could have replace Kamran akmal with Sarfaraz and Imran Farhat with Imran nazir ....

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:16 GMT

Welcome back Afridi...We also wanna see u to be the captain of Pakistan Squad shortly.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:15 GMT

...Afridi is more of an spinner than an all rounder...though it's good for Pakistan to have him in their team...he surely gives his 100 % on the field..

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:14 GMT

Good Luck LALA. Hope you'll make us more Proud. Long Live PCT!!

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:13 GMT

yas
..................................................

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:10 GMT

Welcome back LEGEND!
GOOD old Pakistan team is back with superstars like Afridi n Razzaq in the team!

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:07 GMT

Very good news for Pakistan cricket fans

POSTED BY
SamAsh07
on | November 2, 2011, 14:03 GMT

Welcome back, a useless batsman but a great bowler, I'd be really happy if Afridi gets rid of that "All-rounder tag" and becomes a "specialist" bowler. He has no life left in his batting, but his bowling is magical.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:02 GMT

aha .... Welcome back Boom Boom :)

No featured comments at the moment.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:02 GMT

aha .... Welcome back Boom Boom :)

POSTED BY
SamAsh07
on | November 2, 2011, 14:03 GMT

Welcome back, a useless batsman but a great bowler, I'd be really happy if Afridi gets rid of that "All-rounder tag" and becomes a "specialist" bowler. He has no life left in his batting, but his bowling is magical.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:07 GMT

Very good news for Pakistan cricket fans

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:10 GMT

Welcome back LEGEND!
GOOD old Pakistan team is back with superstars like Afridi n Razzaq in the team!

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:13 GMT

yas
..................................................

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:14 GMT

Good Luck LALA. Hope you'll make us more Proud. Long Live PCT!!

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:15 GMT

...Afridi is more of an spinner than an all rounder...though it's good for Pakistan to have him in their team...he surely gives his 100 % on the field..

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:16 GMT

Welcome back Afridi...We also wanna see u to be the captain of Pakistan Squad shortly.

POSTED BY
on | November 2, 2011, 14:20 GMT

Welcome Back Afridi !!!Olve you !!!waiting 2 see u back in action good team ...could have replace Kamran akmal with Sarfaraz and Imran Farhat with Imran nazir ....